12 Tips for Perfectly Shaped Brows

While the primary function of eyebrows is to protect the eyes from moisture and debris, most women feel that their brows should do more than just that. Whether thin and groomed or highly arched, well-defined brows make a strong statement and are a reflection of one’s personality.

Consider the eyebrows of some of Hollywood's hottest stars. When brows are badly groomed—too little or too much arch, over-tweezed or under-tweezed—it completely throws off the balance of the face and can be very distracting. And when they are perfectly shaped with a natural arch, like Jennifer Connelly’s brows, they frame the face and enhance one's natural beauty. Since each face is unique, the ideal eyebrows will vary in shape, size, length and color.

Scroll through this gallery of celebrities who we think have great brows and learn 12 invaluable tools and techniques that can help you achieve the best brow for your face in no time.

Source: PR Photos

Tip 1: Go to a pro

According to New York celebrity makeup artist and eyebrow specialist, Elke Von Freudenberg, one of the most common brow mishaps is uneven brows. “When one brow is higher than the other it can make you look like you’re raising your eyebrow, or that the bone structure and facial shape are uneven,” she says. “Let a brow pro reshape and even out the brows so that they are perfectly aligned.”

Source: Shutterstock; PR Photos

Tip 2: Never overpluck

Be careful not to over tweeze, like Jenna Elfman circa 1995. If in doubt, see a professional to shape your brows.

“Jenna has a petite high arch, which is great for her small face, but she was slightly overtweezed. Brows that are less arched and rounded are more complementary to her look,” says Beverly Hills brow expert Anastasia Soare.

Source (clockwise): Startraks; PR Photos; Startraks

Tip 3: Try a growth stimulator

If your brows are too skinny or overplucked, Soare suggests using a hair-growth stimulator. “It takes patience for the brows to grow in since it is a slow process. Use brow pencil to fill in bald spots and mask the growth,” she says.

Source: Billion Dollar Brows

After years of over-plucking caused a gap in her arch, Billion Dollar Brows Brow Boost($20) helped to create fuller, healthier brows with a natural arch in just three months. Shaping and filling in the brow finished off the dramatic transformation.

Source: PR Photos

Tip 4: Know when to tweeze

It’s best to tweeze after a warm shower because the follicles are open and release hairs more readily.

Source: Startraks

Tip 5: Tweeze with the right tool

Precision is key in achieving the perfect brow. Try a pair of tweezers with a built-in light, to make the job easier than ever before. Just click on the light to illuminate fine and easy-to-miss hairs. Plus, with a better view of your target hairs, you’ll avoid accidentally pinching the skin itself.

Source: Getty

Tip 6: Use after-care

To combat post-tweeze bumps and redness in the entire brow area, use a soothing lotion with vitamin E to fight skin damage. Chamomile extract can also moisturize and calm the skin, in addition to helping new hair grow stronger.

Bold, thick brows are back. Ever since Audrey Hepburn’s scene stealing brows made their mark in the 1950s, they have been emulated on-screen and off. But you don’t need to be a celebrity or runway model to pull them off. For an everyday look, precisely fill in sparse brows with a thin pencil (about the same color as your hair) with light, feathery strokes. Learn how to proprely fill in your eyebrows with this video.

Source: Getty

Tip 8: Wax on

To tackle unruly brows, gently apply a clear or tinted brow wax after shaping to set the hairs in place. Just like hairspray for your hair, a light wax provides a soft hold that keeps the brows in place all day long. Gently apply with your fingertip but be careful not to smear the pencil color or push the brows down and out of their arched shape. A colorless pomade can also be combined with a powder lighter than your hair color for more definition.

Source: PR Photos

Tip 9: Use a highlighter

A shimmery, light pink highlighter that’s creamy and easy to blend will not only add extra emphasis and contrast when applied under the brow line, it can also work to highlight the inner eye and the bow of the lips.

Source: PR Photos

Tip 10: Consider an injectable eyebrow lift

We cannot all age as well as Salma Hayek. Those seeking a more dramatic improvement in the overall look of their brows can choose from a variety of injectables and fillers. For minimal tweaking—best suited for those without heavy lids—neurotoxins are a good choice. “By injecting into the muscles that pull the eyebrows down, these muscles are weakened, and the eyebrows are lifted,” says New York City ophthalmic plastic surgeon Joseph A. Eviatar, MD. “The goal is to retrain the muscles to reshape the brow overtime.” Also, fillers such as Juvéderm and Radiesse can help lift the tail of the brow, while Sculptra Aesthetic may be used on those with deep hollowness in the eye area to correct the shape. “It all depends on how much correction is needed,” Eviatar says. “These are noninvasive procedures and can be refined over time as the patient ages.”

Source: INFphoto

Tip 11: Consider a browlift

If you need a dramatic lift, browlift surgery (also known as a forehead lift) is a permanent fix that's done endoscopically, which makes it a minimally-invasive procedure. During a browlift, the muscles are repositioned to lift the brow into a more natural position. Plus, any sagging excess skin can be removed as well.

Source: PR Photos

Tip 12: Rehabilitate weak brows

Even if you’ve tweezed your brows beyond recognition, there is still hope. “Most women have over tweezed their brows at some point and now want beautiful, natural-looking brows with nice shape,” says Kristie Streicher, makeup and eyebrow specialist at Warren Tricomi in New York and West Hollywood. “We’re able to achieve that with ‘Brow Rehab.’” During the three- to six-month program (length depends on the severity of the brows’ condition), clients aren’t allowed to tweeze their own brows at all. Instead, they visit Streicher every four to six weeks for 30-minute cleanup sessions. “Vegetable dye, which fills in the area to create a fuller, more defined brow in the growing process, is also used, and the results can last up to four weeks,” she adds. Photos of each client’s brow are also taken to track progress and ensure that the most natural shape is generated. “This way, we are working with what the individual has, and it is a more natural route,” she says.